BonAmi and DD engines

[Slow Rider]

I noticed on one of the threads a comment about putting "BonAmi" in the cooling system to clean it.  Have any of you ever heard about putting it in the air cleaner?  I have a friend who said they had a piece of equipment (heavy construction) that after a rebuild just kept using oil.  The DD rep finally came to look at it.  He swears the DD rep poured the BonAmi in the air cleaner and ran the engine hard.  He said it quit using oil after that.  Is he pulling my leg?

[bassfid]

I have heard of this as a method used by racers to seat Chrome/Moly piston rings more quickly than normal driving.   Bon Ami is a fine abrasive, and I'm not sure it would be appropriate for a high miles bus engine.

[mikeH8H-649]

That was actually a pretty common way to seat rings in race engines back in the 60's and 70's when you could not do a lot of break in time but I have not done it or seen it done in at least 30 years with the ring and cyl prep we have nowadays but no he was not pulling your leg on that one I just do not think it is done much anymore    Mike

[luvrbus]

I don't think you could sell Sean on that idea

[mikeH8H-649]

I am not trying to sell anyone on anything personally I would not use this method nowadays but there was a time when moly rings first came out that this was the way they were sealed(broke in) because cyl finishing was not done for the most part as it is done today just as there was a time when 600 grit sandpaper was as fine as we had and now they have 2500 grit or finer,like I said there was a time when! Mike

[Ncbob]

We used the "treatment" some ears ago on new Onan Engines that didn't seat properly from the git-go.
But these were cast iron blocks, no wet liners, and production rings.

I've rebuilt a few Detroits in my former career and never had a concern about seating the rings as we always replaced pistons, rings and liners at an overhaul.

Not knowing the reason for the question, Frank, I still doubt that today I'd use the "treatment" unless I knew all the facts and had run some tests, such as compression (wet & dry) before making that decision.

Bob

[Kristinsgrandpa]

Being an abrasive I don't think I'd put it in my cooling system, since the water pump bearings might not like it. I want my water pump to last longer not shorter.

The local truckers around here use vinegar to clean their cooling systems. That is a new one on me, I've never heard of that till recently.  The man that told be about it says it makes the radiator brass shine inside.

Ed

[DrivingMissLazy]

In the good ole' days this was somewhat a common practice for many mechanics. There were strict break in rules for newly rebuilt engines, which I do not really recall exactly, but something like not over 35 for the first 100 miles and not over 50 for the next 250, or something like that. Otherwise the rings would not seat properly and the car would continue to smoke badly. Seems like an oil change was required in the first couple of hundred miles also. I believe many of the oil filters were the bypass kind, but the memory of this is fading. Anyhow, many believed that the Bon Ami acted as an abrasive to help seat the rings to the cylinder walls.
Richard